The group took off after being signed to Capitol Records in 1952 at the insistence of high profile fan, Stan Kenton. They remained popular throughout the 50s and early 60s, releasing a wide array of successful albums, movie and television appearances and performing countless sold-out concerts. The band eventually lost mainstream attention with the emergence of the British pop bands of the 1960s, even though they managed to stay together even after the retirement of final original member Bob Flanigan in 1992.
As of 2001, the Freshmen have been composed of Bob Ferreira, Brian Eichenberger, Curtis Calderon, and Vince Johnson. Although the new lineup of the Four Freshmen have continued the legendary vocal tradition of the original band and perform many of the same standards, the current sound has more of a lounge sound rather than focusing primarily upon harmonies. This modernized sound has proven quite successful, as the group won Down Beat magazine's reader's poll award for Vocal Group of the Year in 2000, proving the quartet's prominence in the jazz world today.
I Thought About You
The Four Freshmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That out of sight is out of mind
Maybe that's so but I tried to go
And leave you behind, what did I find
I took a trip on the train
And I thought about you,
I passed a shadowy lane
Two or three cars parked under the stars
A winding stream
Moon shining down on some little town
And with each beam, same old dream
At every stop that we made
Oh, I thought about you
But when I pulled down the shade
Then I really felt blue,
I peeked through the crack
And looked at the track
The one going back to you
And what did I do
I thought about you
The song "I Thought About You" by The Four Freshmen is a melancholic ballad about the agony and heartache of being unable to forget a lost love. It begins with the lines "Seems that I read or somebody said, that out of sight is out of mind, maybe that's so but I tried to go and leave you behind, what did I find." The singer contemplates the idea that absence may help one to forget about someone, but he finds that it is impossible to shake off thoughts of his former love.
The narrative of the song takes place while the singer is on a train journey, and every stop and passing scenery reminds him of his lost love. He describes how he saw "two or three cars parked under the stars, a winding stream, moon shining down on some little town, and with each beam, same old dream," which emphasizes the idea that he is unable to let go of the memories of the past.
Despite trying to avoid thinking about his past love, the singer is unable to escape the feelings of sadness and longing. He confesses, "but when I pulled down the shade, then I really felt blue, I peeked through the crack and looked at the track, the one going back to you, and what did I do, I thought about you." The last line of the song summarizes the sentiment of the whole song, which is the torment of not being able to forget a past love.
Line by Line Meaning
Seems that I read, or somebody said
I've heard rumors that when you're not around someone, you forget them easily
That out of sight is out of mind
Being away from someone leads to forgetting them
Maybe that's so but I tried to go
Although that may be true, I attempted to forget about you
And leave you behind, what did I find
I wanted to move on but found out it was not that easy
I took a trip on the train
I went on a train journey
And I thought about you,
I couldn't help but think of you
I passed a shadowy lane
I went past a dark alley
And I thought about you,
You were on my mind
Two or three cars parked under the stars
A few cars were parked under the night sky
A winding stream
A curvy stream
Moon shining down on some little town
The moonlight illuminated a small town
And with each beam, same old dream
I kept having the same longing feelings with each passing moment
At every stop that we made
Every time the train stopped
Oh, I thought about you
I couldn't help but think of you
But when I pulled down the shade
When I closed the window curtains
Then I really felt blue,
I suddenly felt very sad
I peeked through the crack
I looked through a crack
And looked at the track
I gazed at the railway track
The one going back to you
The track that led back to you
And what did I do
What action did I take?
I thought about you
I just couldn't stop thinking of you
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James Van Heusen, Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Mercer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
sandaglad
The Four Freshmen at their best - pure heaven. The movie star photos and backgrounds are superb! Thanks.
Ed Macomber
Absolutely beautiful...mind candy!
swooncroon
The Four Freshmen with Bob Flanigan on the top can never be reproduced. The new group is so good, but there are nuances missing : Flaningan's smile in his voice, and his trombone vocal attacks. Not just singing by rote.
John Smith
The Great American Song Book, Jimmy van Heusen and Johnny Mercer, and the unforgettable Four Freshman - a part of my life from Day One. Thanks Jim, really appreciated.
Jymster46
@sorrowfulflower Yes Heather, I am tickled too!! This features some but definitely not all of my favorite actresses. Ha! I am so glad that you like the song! The Freshmen are amazing, I think! Thanks so much for watching and for another of your wonderful comments! I sure appreciate them!! Jim
Jymster46
You are very welcome. I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you so much for watching, listening and commenting! Jim
Jymster46
@exjazzbassbaz Pure Class, for sure. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for listening! Jim
Jymster46
Thanks so much for listening! Jim
exjazzbass baz
@jymster46 great stuff from the best.we know about pure class when we hear it dont we.? great taste my friend.many thanks.
Jymster46
@azw596 You are very welcome! Nice Stars to have in our eyes, I think! Thanks so much for watching! Yes, The Freshmen are very Mellow & Smooth, for sure. Jim